FY 2012-13 HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET S.B. 955 (S-1, Draft 3): SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE REC.


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Senate Bill 955 (S-1, Draft 3 as reported) Throughout this document Senate means Subcommittee.
Committee: Appropriations

FY 2011-12 Year-to-Date Gross Appropriation $1,364,178,400
Changes from FY 2011-12 Year-to-Date:
  1. Performance Funding. Governor recommended a 3.0% increase allocated by four new funding formulas based on the three-year average growth of undergraduate degree completions, three-year average degree completions in critical skills areas (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health fields), three-year average number of undergraduate students receiving Pell Grants, and tuition restraint. The Senate maintained $9,054,300 tuition restraint recommendation, but changed the remaining distribution based on an $18,108,400 allocation proportional to current appropriations and $9,054,300 allocated pursuant to how universities perform relative to their Carnegie classifications for eight metrics. Table 1 provides a listing of amounts by university. 36,217,000
2. MSU Facility for Rare Isotopes (FRIB). The FY 2011-12 budget included a one-time appropriation of $1.2 million. Governor and Senate included funding for this facility in ongoing appropriations for FY 2012-13. The total project cost is estimated at $614.5 million ($520.0 million Federal funds and a community cost share of $94.5 million). The $2,339,900 included in the budget reflects FY 2011-12 debt service costs for funds borrowed by MSU to date, which will count toward the $94.5 million community share. 2,339,900
3. Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) Retiree Health Costs. Governor and Senate included funding to offset the increase in MPSERS retirement contributions attributable to the 0.25% increase in costs related to retiree health care. Boilerplate provides that amounts allocated to each university will be based on each participating university's total retiree health care premiums paid for MPSERS' retirants in proportion to the total retiree health care premium for all participating universities for the immediately preceding fiscal year. Table 2 provides an estimate of distributions based on January through December 2011 MPSERS retiree health care premiums. 446,200
4. State Competitive Scholarships. Governor increased funding for this program from $18,361,700 to $20,361,700. The program is funded by Federal revenue. New funds were made available through reductions to Tuition Grants and the Tuition Incentive Program (Items 5 & 6 below). The program provides funds to undergraduate students at Michigan two-year and four-year public and private institutions. Students are eligible for up to 10 semesters if they have financial need and a qualifying ACT score. Senate includes increase, but funds entire amount through reductions to TIP. 2,000,000
5. Tuition Grants. Governor reduced this program by $1.0 million, from $31,664,700 to $30,664,700. The program provides funding for financially needy undergraduate students at Michigan two-year and four-year private institutions. The Senate did not concur, retained current year funding. 0
6. Tuition Incentive Program (TIP). Governor reduced this program by $1.0 million, from $43.8 million to $42.8 million. The program provides an incentive to students to complete high school and go on to college by pledging to pay tuition and fees for associate degree or certificate programs, as well as up to $2,000 at a four-year institution. Students in grades 6 through 12 who are Medicaid-eligible for 24 months can qualify for TIP. Treasury projections indicate there are sufficient funds to cover the entire $2.0 million increase for competitive scholarships. (2,000,000)
7. Federal Funds. The Robert C. Byrd scholarship was eliminated by Congress. (1,300,000)
8. Elimination of One-Time FY 2011-12 Appropriations.   (1,900,000)
9. Comparison to Governor's Recommendation. The Senate is at the Governor's recommendation for Gross and GF/GP.
Total Changes $35,803,100
  FY 2012-13 Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Gross Appropriation $1,399,981,500
FY 2012-13 HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET BOILERPLATE HIGHLIGHTS

Changes from FY 2011-12 Year to Date:
  1. Second Year Appropriation. States intent of the Legislature to provide that appropriations for the next fiscal year are anticipated to be the same as line items listed in part 1 except adjustments for changes in caseloads, Federal match rates, economic factors, and available revenue. Governor replaced with line items for FY 2013-14. Senate does not include line items for FY 2013-14 and maintains boilerplate. (Sec. 236a)
2. Contingency Fund Appropriations. Governor and Senate included new boilerplate appropriating up to $6,000,000 in Federal contingency funds for grants and financial aid. (Sec. 236b)
3. P-20 Education Longitudinal Data System. Requires public universities to cooperate with all measures taken by the State to establish a statewide P-20 education longitudinal data system to comply with the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Governor and Senate modified to require the development of a P-20 system and allow the Budget Director to withhold funds for noncompliance. (Sec. 244)
4. Posting of Expenditures. Requires report categorizing institutional General Fund expenditures among major categories for all academic units, administrative units and external initiatives and to require a list of all employee salary amounts for positions funded by institutional general fund. Governor modified by removing listing of individual employee information. Senate modified by requiring additional information from each university and placement of information on university websites in a standard format. The Senate also authorizes the State Budget Director to withhold State aid payments for noncompliance. (Sec. 245)
5. State Competitive Scholarship Program. Governor and Senate reduced per-student award from $600 to $575 to reflect actual amounts. (Sec. 251)
6. Tuition Grant Program. Governor modified by changing deadline from applying before July 1, to application received by July 1, and received by March 1 for subsequent years. Eliminates carry forward of unexpended funds. New reporting requirements for independent colleges to participate in program (P-20 longitudinal and other data). Senate maintained current deadlines and carry-forward language, and concurred with Governor on other changes. (Sec. 252)
7. Student Financial Aid Distributions. Governor changed distribution from 50% at the beginning of the first quarter and 50% at the beginning of the second quarter to four quarterly payouts of 50%, 30%, 10%, and 10%. Senate did not concur with Governor. (Sec.254)
8. Tuition Restraint. Governor revised the Tuition Restraint Program and set the FY 2012-13 limit at 4.0%. Funds subject to tuition restraint total $9,054,300. Senate reduced limit to 3.5%.(Sec. 265)
9. Performance Funding Criteria. Requires universities to certify that they participate in the Michigan Transfer Network as a part of the MI Assoc. of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Transfer Agreement in order to receive performance funding. Sets criteria for performance funding based on four metrics. Governor would lapse funds where universities do not participate in Michigan Transfer Network. Senate would instead redistribute funds. Senate also adjusted this section based on its formula allocations stated in Item #1 of the first page of this analysis. (Sec. 265a)
10. Academic Information-High Schools and Community Colleges. Governor modified current-year language to require universities to work with the CEPI to design and implement a systematic approach to accomplish this task of updating institutions regarding academic status of university students. (Sec. 283 and Sec. 284)
11. State Building Authority Rent. Governor and Senate list amounts included in other bills. (Sec. 294a)
12. Restored/Modified Sections. The Senate restored the following sections: Buy American/Buy Michigan intent language (Sec. 239); purchase of foreign automobiles prohibition (Sec. 239a); deprived and depressed communities (Sec. 240); Ag-bioresearch/MSU Extension - updates research priorities and other adjustments (Sec. 263/263a); unfunded Indian tuition waiver costs (Sec. 268); counseling degree programs/student's religious beliefs (Sec. 273); Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement report requirement (portion of Sec. 275); compliance with JCOS use and finance rules and penalty provisions (portion of Sec. 275a); campus security information (Sec. 292); and Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act, (Sec. 293)
13. Deleted Sections. Governor and Senate removed: Research university definition (Sec. 237a); U of M Douglas Lake Biological Station (Sec. 261); minimizing the cost of textbooks (Sec. 262); university funding formula (Sec. 266); coordinate purchases (Sec. 270a); academic program accreditation (Sec. 271); rejection of transfer credits report (Sec. 272); human embryonic stem cell research report (Sec. 274); adult co-resident health benefits - legislative intent and report (Sec. 274a); and new degree programs (Sec. 290).
Date Completed: 4-2-12 Fiscal Analyst: Bill Bowerman This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations. 13hilitehed_cs